The present disclosure relates to a vibration generating apparatus and an electronic apparatus including the same.
A vibration generating apparatus, converting electrical energy into mechanical vibrations using, for example, the principle of the generation of electromagnetic force, can be mounted in a mobile phone, or the like, to thereby be used for silently notifying a user of call reception by generating vibrations thereto. In addition, in accordance with rapid growth in the market for mobile devices such as mobile phones, and the like, and the trend for multiple functionality in mobile devices, mobile phone components having a small size and high quality have been desired. Therefore, the need for a vibration generating apparatus having a novel structure capable of overcoming disadvantages of existing vibration generating apparatuses and having improved quality has also increased.
Further, as touchscreen have been adopted into devices such as mobile phones, including smartphones, it is desirable to adopt vibration generating apparatuses to generate vibrations at the time of touching the touchscreen of these devices. In this regard, levels of performance particularly required in vibrations generated in the case of a touch interaction with a touchscreen are as follows. First, as the frequency of vibrations generated at the time of such touch interactions with a touchscreen can be greater than that of vibrations generated at the time of call reception, an operational lifespan of a vibration generating apparatus needs to be increased. Second, user satisfaction can be increased when a user experiences vibrations at the time of a touch interaction with a touchscreen and a response speed of the vibrations increases as a speed of touch interactions with a touchscreen increases.
As a product capable of implementing one or more of the characteristics as described above, there is provided a piezo haptic actuator. Such a piezo haptic actuator may use the principle of an inverse piezoelectric effect in which the displacement of a piezo element is generated when a voltage is applied thereto, and vibratory force is generated by allowing a mass body to move due to the generated displacement.
In a vibrator having such a structure, a frequency bandwidth in which a predetermined level or more of vibratory force may be obtained is relatively wide, such that a variety of vibration characteristics may be implemented. In addition, since the vibration generating apparatus may provide rapid operational response characteristics, it may be suitable for implementing haptic vibrations in mobile devices such as mobile phones, and the like.
However, such piezo elements may be damaged due to external impacts. For example, the piezo element may be damaged due to contact between the piezo element and a lower case when external impacts are applied to the vibrator.
Additionally, the elastic plate may be deformed or damaged due to external impacts, or the like, applied to the vibration generating apparatus in a length direction thereof. Therefore, the piezo element mounted on the elastic plate may be damaged.